LAWRENCE COUNTY Teens put faith to work by helping to fix homes

Teens from six states are working on 46 homes.
& lt;a href=mailto:cioffi@vindy.com & gt;By LAURE CIOFFI & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
ACQUI TAYLOR REALIZES she's doing more than just scraping paint from a door frame and patching a few holes.
"We are helping a community grow. Isn't that what we need to do for America?" said the 17-year-old Uniontown, Pa., girl.
Jacqui is one of nearly 400 teens who converged on Lawrence County this week as part of a Reach WorkCamp, a nondenominational Christian camp for junior and senior high-schoolers designed to help low-income people while offering spiritual growth to young people.
"I think it's nice to see kids doing something," said Sondra Pearson, whose porch on Florence Avenue in South New Castle borough was being painted by a Reach WorkCamp crew this week. The group also planned to make some plaster repairs inside the home.
Campers from Reach are working on 45 Lawrence County homes. There is no cost to homeowners, but campers pay a $340 fee to attend. The organization found needy homeowners through Lawrence County Social Services.
Weeklong camp
Church youth groups from six states sent young people and youth group leaders to the weeklong camp.
Debbie O'Shea of Bellaire, Md., was supervising the painting at Pearson's house.
"I'm proud of these kids. They really want to do this. At night they come together and talk about how good it feels to work," O'Shea said.
The teens are staying at Mohawk High School where nightly faith-based programs are held.
"The goal is to relate to campers and where they are in their faith, taking them closer to Christ," said Mike Jones, Reach founder.
Jones said the week's theme, "The Anchor Holds," is meant to teach them that their anchor of faith holds no matter what life throws their way. Helping make repairs for low-income people is part of that lesson.
"They can't look at poverty the same. They have to go inside and realize that's not just a broken-down house. They can do something," Jones said.
Jacqui Taylor agrees.
Unexpected sight
"I hadn't expected to see people living in poverty. I thought they would be middle-class like me and would be down on their luck, maybe laid-off or something. Now that I know there is poverty I can't ignore it," she said. Lawrence County is the fourth Reach WorkCamp she has attended.
The other campers at the Florence Avenue home say they've also learned a lot.
"I'm glad we are doing something. It makes me realize how fortunate I am," said Kirsten Paisley, 15, of Granville, Ohio, who is on her second work camp.
"It's a week of not focusing on yourself, but focusing on someone else," added Tyler Oatman, 15, of Grand Rapids, Mich.